At Gibson, our mission is “To Protect What Matters Most.” Naturally, as the Director of Health Risk Management at Gibson, I would like to make the argument that health, and perhaps to a greater degree, vitality, matter most. Take a moment and think about that—your personal health. If you are like most people, you might equate health to the absence of disease or illness. Now think about your vitality. The dictionary defines vitality this way: exuberant physical strength or mental vigor; the capacity for survival or for the continuation of a meaningful or purposeful existence. In a way, vitality could also be described as wellbeing—a state characterized by health, happiness, and prosperity.

This brings me back to the mission at Gibson—“To Protect What Matters Most”. For the clients we serve, the “what matters most”, varies by organization and is dynamic in nature. In my role, I have the distinct privilege of serving clients who truly care about the health of their employees and their families. Without healthy employees, they know the work won’t get done—on the job or at home—and the vitality of the organization will suffer.

Summer is right around the corner, and it’s time to put away the coats and bring out shorts and swim suits. Children all the way from pre-school to high school will soon be released from yet another school year, with a few months of freedom until the fall semester. The summer months are a great time to play sports, go the beach, or ride a bike around the neighborhood. Parents love to see their kids outside having a good time, but when it comes to playing outside…

“Just one more level!” or “My favorite show is on!”

Most people carry a risk in their pocket. That's right! Your cell phone may be a problem waiting to happen.

Heart health shouldn't be taken for granted, especially when heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women according to the CDC. Annually, around 600,000 people die from a form of heart disease in the United States. Coronary heart disease, in particular, kills 385,000 people everyyear.

All you need for a workplace strain or sprain to occur are stairs or a floor. While there has been an encouraging decline in workplace injuries overall, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a slight increase in musculoskeletal injuries classified as sprains, strains, and tears. And, that includes an increase in injuries to the lumbar region, which are typically long-term and expensive to care for.

When Health Care Reform takes effect, companies with more than 50 employees will either offer health care benefits or face penalties. And the choice isn’t as straightforward as it may sound. In many instances companies will save money by paying the fines rather than funding a health care plan. Others will lose money if they drop coverage.

Most employers would like to offer the benefit, but it needs to be truly affordable.

Life Insurance….you know it’s something you need, but it’s something that’s often put-off till later or never purchased at all.  When purchasing life insurance many questions come to mind.  Some of the most common questions are listed below:

What if I Don’t Die?

This is the most common question when buying term life insurance.  When the policy term is over, you get nothing if you’re still alive.  Most people are happy to still be alive, but others focus on the premiums that have disappeared.  Sometimes, this leads to people waiting till later in life to purchase a policy.  This can be risky because it means higher premiums, or the possibility that you are no longer insurable.  Most people are in need of life insurance while their family is young and they have financial obligations such as college education for their children, a mortgage, etc.

Some carriers offer a term policy with a return of premium option.  This policy returns all paid in premiums back to you, in one tax-free lump sum, if you are still alive at the end of the policy term.  It also offers a conversion option.  You can forego the lump sum and convert to a policy that will pay the death benefit to your beneficiary upon your death, without paying in any additional premiums.  The death benefit is lower than the original face value but still a great option, especially if you happen to be uninsurable at the end of your policy term.

If you want permanent life insurance coverage, which means the policy will pay the face value to your beneficiary upon your death, then you might want to consider whole life insurance.  This type of insurance is usually more costly than term insurance and depending on the payment plan you choose, you could end up paying premiums your entire life.

Workplace health and occupational safety programs, when combined, offer more benefits to employee health and quarterly profits than either can when implemented separately, according to recent research by the Harvard School of Public Health.

This content is used with permission from John Torinus who is headlining this year’s Human Capital Summit on March 13, 2014.

A comparison of health costs between Europe, Canada and the U.S. by Sue Davis, chair of the political science department at Denison University, Granville, Ohio, surfaced a major insight on why other countries spend far less on care as a percentage of GDP than America.

In great anticipation of John Torinus headlining this year’s Human Capital Summit on March 13, 2014, we are sharing his blog content on the 5 Steps To Control Health Costs. This content was derived from his book The Compay That Solved Health Care. In addition to this topic, John will bring new insight during our event from his latest book Opt Out On Obamacare, Opt Into The Private Heath Care Revolution.

Any organization can take immediate steps to tame the hyperinflation of health care costs and premiums. Innovators in health care delivery in the private sector have paved the way to proven methods for cutting costs. Not surprisingly, managing costs and improving health go hand in hand. Here are the basic steps that managers can take to not just curtail costs, but to reduce them: